Portable fire extinguisher



Oct. Z6, 1948. H. c. LEECH ETAL 2,452,309

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Dec. 9, 1944v 2 sheets-sheet 1 -2 l' l /7 l /7/ d2 2 /l $7 d f d m C/ dj c/ C I C a a e f b/ f2 b In ventory H. C. Efc/ 85,770. Hfwsm n/ n/vi [Ik Attorney Oct; 26, 1948. H. c. LEI-:cH Erm. 2,452,309

-PORTABLE FIRE EXT-INGUISHER Filed Dec. 9, 1944 C2 c/ I d C,

c 1 C3 C a a 9 I .l ,l n Inventor al f2 f 9 hic. Efe/v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 73E/,2, v Attorney v Patented Oct. 26, 1948 "ATENT' OFFICE PURTABLE FIRE EXTINGUI'SHER Haroldl C. Leech and Thomas A. Henshaw,

.Eliana England Application pecemberc, 1944, serial No. 567,373 In Great Britain December 9, 1943 2 claims. rc1.' 16e-s1) The invention relates to portable re extin-lr guishers of the type in which the extinguisher is brought into action by axial movement of a piercer or equivalent member. One well-known form of extinguisher of the type referred to comprises an outer liquid container and an inner con" tainer for a propellant gas, the latter container being supported within the liquid vcontainer and having a, sealing disc adapted to be perforated by a piercer carried by a head which forms a closure to the upper end of the liquid container. When the gas container is pierced, the propellant gas operates to eject the liquid from the outer container through a discharge nozzle in the upper part of the latter, the ejection being effected either by means of a dip tube extending to the bottom of the liquid container vor by inversion `of the extinguisher.

In another form of extinguisher a vfrangible inner container is charged with acid which, When the -container is broken, mixes with the liquid in the outer container and generates an propellant gas. v

` Th'e invention has for'one of its objects to provide, for an extinguisher of the type referred to,v

an improved closing head for the outer container which can be very quickly removed and re-applied when it is desired to re-charge the extinguisher. A further object is to incorporate with the closing head improved means for preventing accidental operation of the extinguisher. A `Still further object is to make provision for preventing accidental releasel of the closing head `from the outer container.

An extinguisher according to the invention isl illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 being respectively sectional Aelevations on planes at right angles to one another; and

Fig. 3 a partial plan View of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig, 4 illustrates an alternative method, hereinafter fully described, to that shown in the pre? ceding fiigures, of preventing accidental release of th'e closing head from the outer container.

Referring rstly to Figs. 1 to 3, a represents the upper end of an outer container through the usual opening a in the head of which an inner container b is introduced and removed. Surrounding the opening a is a ring member c having an inwardly-directed interrupted flange c'.

A plate d, adapted to form a closure to the charging opening a', is provided on its periphery with radial projections d', see Fig. 3, adapted to enter the gaps in the interrupted flange c and,

, 2 by a partial rotation of the plate, t0 engage beneath the flange.

A flexible cup-shaped washer or `disc e carried on the inner side of the plate d is adapted tov cooperate around its periphery with the, Wall of the charging opening a and prevent leakage when the interior of the container a is placed under pressure by release of the propellant gas from, or its formation by, the fracture of the inner container b.

A piercer member Elfdllpted, When yfaced inwardly, to pierce the sealing disc b of the,V inner container b, has a spindle i" projecting upwardly through the plate d and normally maintained in raised inoperativev position by a coiled spring g confined between the plate and an operating knob h secured on they upper end .of the4 spindle. The iiexible cup-shaped washer e is nipped between the piercer member f and a collar or enlargement 12 on the spindle and obviatesthe necessity of providing a stuffing box for the spindle.

Pivoted to upwardly-projecting lugs d2, d2', 0n the upper Side. cfv the closing. plate d are the less i. 0f a Substantially U-shaped. handle member i, which, when in raised pQStiOn,y as shown in Fig. 1 is, not only adapted t0 constitute a carrying handle for the extinguisher or cover but also t0 .act as a prevention against. accidental Operation of the machine. To this end the uppersurface -of the knob h is made convex and has a central depression h2'. Centrally of its underside the handlei has a projection which is adapted as the handle is being swung upwardly to raised position,l to ride up the curved upper surface of the knob hand depress the latterl slightly against the action of the spring g. When the projection i? on the handle i becomes positioned overl the depression h in the knob, the latter springs up and the parts occupy the position shown ,in Figs, 1 and 2, in which the handle is held securely in raised position, and any accidental depression of the knob h is impossible.

In order to prevent accidental dislodgment of the cover plate d, We may provide a locking member in the form of a sector member j the boss portion of which fits on the striker spindle f between the upper surface of the plate d and the spring g, whilst its peripheral portion is adapted to fit into one of the gaps in the interrupted flange c. When the cover is being applied, one of the projections on the interrupted flange engages the peripheral portion of the locking plate y', which can yield upwardly against the pressure of the spring g. As the cover plate is given the partial rotation necessary to effect the engagement of its projections beneath the interrupted flange c' the locking plate rides over the surface of the projection in which it rests and, when the cover plate arrives in its final position, the locking plate drops down into the gap on one side of such projection, in which it is held by the pressure of the spring g. It is thus impossible for the cover plate to become accidentally dislodged when the handle i has been swung clear of the striker knob h. Wings 7", i', on the locking plate enable it to be grasped by the fingers, and raised clear ofthe gap in which it was engaged, when the cover is to be removed. As the cover plate is partially rotated to disengage it from the interrupted ange c the locking plate rides on the surface of one of the projections of the flange, and, when the projections on the plate arrive opposite the gaps in the flange, the locking plate on the flange assists to raise the cover plate clear of the flange.4

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, accidental dislodgment of the cover plate is prevented by a spring plunger k which is adapted to enter an I appropriately-positioned recess c2 in the ring c When'the cover plate has been applied and partially rotated to cause its projections to engage beneath those of the interrupted iiange. An opening c3 in the ring enables the plunger, by means of a suitable tool, to be pushed clear of the recess c2 when it is desired to remove the cover plate.

If desired, the carrying handle m usually provided on the container a may be carried by the cover plate. It can then be used for giving the partial rotations to the coverplate, requisite to lock or release the latter, in addition to itsnormal function of enabling the extinguisher to be carried or to be supported when in operation.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A closure for re extinguishers which are characterized by an outer container having a charging opening for liquid and an inner container for a propellant gas or for a liquid capable of combining with that in the outer'container to generate a propellant gas, said closure comprising a cover plate adapted to seal the charging opening in the outer container` having radial projections extending from said coverv plate, an outer container-carried ring surrounding the said charging opening, said ring having an interrupted ange with which the projections on the said cover plate are adapted to co-operateto hold the cover plate in position, a handle pivoted to the outer side of the cover plate, a centra1 projection on said handle, a 'longitudinally-slidable piercer member adapted to release the contents of the inner container, a spring acting to hold the piercer member in inoperative position, an operating knob to enable the piercer member to be moved against the action of the spring, and a depression in the outer face of said knob with which the projection on the handle is adapted, when the latter is in raised position, to engage and depress the piercer member slightly against the action of the spring, so that the handle is held in engagement with the knob and accidental operation of the piercer member thus prevented.

2. A closure for fire extinguishers which are characterized by an outer container having a charging opening for liquid and an inner container for a propellant gas or for a liquid capable of combining with that in the outer container to generate a propellant gas, said closure comprising a cover plate adapted to seal the charging opening in the outer container having radial projections extending from said cover plate, an outer container-carried ring surrounding the said charging opening, said ring having an interrupted ange with which the projections on the said cover plate are adapted to co-operate to hold the cover plate in position, a flexible cupshaped washer carried by the inner side of the cover plate and having a peripheral portion adapted to fit within the charging opening of the outer container and form a seal when the interior of said container is under pressure, a handle pivoted to the outer side of the cover plate, a central projection on said handle, a longitudinally-slidablepiercer member adapted to release the contents of the inner container, a spring acting to hold the piercer member in inoperative position, an operating knob to enable the piercer member to be moved against the action of the spring, and a depression in the outer face of said knob with which the projection on the handle is adapted, when the latter is in raised position, to engage and depress the piercer member slightly against the action of the spring, so that the handle is held in engagement with the knob and accidental operation of the piercer member thus prevented.

HAROLD C. LEECH. THOMAS A. HENSHAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

